1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oxygen-regulated protein 150 (ORP150). Specifically, the invention relates to the amino acid sequence of human ORP150, polynucleotides encoding human ORP150, promoters of human ORP150 gene and antibodies specific to human ORP150.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Since the expression of a 70 kDa heat shock protein (HPS70) in cerebral ischemic lesions was reported for the first time, various stress proteins, represented by HSP70, have been reported to be expressed in myocardial ischemic and atherosclerotic lesions, as well as cerebral ischemic lesions. The fact that the induction of HSP, a mechanism of defence against heat stress, is seen in ischemic lesions, suggests that the stress response of the body to ischemic hypoxia is an active phenomenon involving protein neogenesis. Regarding cultured cells, stressful situations that cause ischemia in vivo, such as hypoglycemia and hypoxia, have been shown to induce a group of non-HSP stress proteins, such as glucose-regulated protein (GRP) and oxygen-regulated protein (ORP).
ORP is therefore expected to serve in the diagnosis and treatment of ischemic diseases.
Hori et al. have recently found that exposure of cultured rat astrocytes to hypoxic conditions induces 150, 94, 78, 33 and 28 kDa proteins [J. Neurochem., 66, 973-979(1996)]. These proteins, other than the 150 kDa protein, were identified as GRP94, GRP78, hemoxygenase 1 and HSP28, respectively, while the 150 kDa protein (rat ORP150) remains not to be identified. In addition, there has been no report of human ORP150 protein.